Electrical outlet



March l9, 1963 R. w. RUMBLE 3,082,302

- ELECTRICAL OUTLET Filed July 25, 1960 //VVE'NTOR far W/ZL/AM PUMBL 5 3,082,302 Patented Mar. 19, 1963 3,082,302 ELEQTREAL OUTLET Roy W. Rumble, Forest Town, Johannesburg, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa (R0. Box 357, Germiston, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa) Filed July 25, 1960, Ser. No. 44,910

3 Claims. (Cl. Nil-51.03)

This invention relates to electrical outlets of the two or three socket type, designed to receive complemental plugs having flat contact pins. These pins are dilierently arranged in different plugs. in some cases they are parallel and abreast, in others they are aligned, and in yet other cases they may be inclined to one another.

The object of the invention is to provide an outlet (which may be wired directly to the current-carrying leads or may be an adapter) which is capable of accommodating a variety of the plugs in question.

According to the invention an electrical outlet has a body with parallel cylindrical cavities spaced apart to receive a complemental plug, a bushing in each cavity rotatable within the cavity, stop means to prevent endwise movement of each bushing, a pair of spring leaves within each bushing and fast with it and pressed towards one another to receive a flat pin resiliently between them, a metal lug on each bushing in electrical contact with at least one spring of each pair, multiple stationary contacts for each bushing within the body and in the path of movement of the lug to make electrical contact with the lug each in turn as the lug is rotated; and means to connect the contacts with a source of electrical current.

The outlet is complemental to the plug which is de scribed and claimed in applicants co-pending application Serial No. 31,156 of May 23, 1960.

The two bushings accommodating the sockets may be geared to move together, although this is by no means necessary. Indeed in the preferred form each bushing is independent of the other and projects somewhat from the body to permit it to be gripped for manual rotation.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a side View, partly sectioned,

FIGURE 2 is a face View,

FIGURE 3 is a face view with the cover plate removed.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawings the outlet comprises a body formed with cylindrical cavities 12 each of which rotatably accommodates a cylindrical bushing 14 formed with a flange 116. The body is enclosed by a cover plate 18 which bears on the flange 16 to constrain the bushing against endwise movement. eyond the plate 18, the bushing is provided with a shank 20 having a tab 22.

The bushings are made of non-conducting material such as a plastic. Each bushing is hollow and, within its cavity there are arranged two spring leaves 24 of metal defining between them a slot to receive the flat pin of an electrical plug.

The rear ends of the leaves are connected and attached to them is a tab 26. The tab makes contact, as the bushing is rotated with either one or the other of two contacts 2 8 that are connected to the electric supply. To assist the user, the flange 16 of each bushing may be peripherally recessed at 38, and a fixed pin 32 on the cover plate 18 may define the limits of rotation of the bushing, in each of which positions the tab makes contact with one of the contacts 28.

The cover plate 18 has marked on it for each bushing two insignia, say v. or 250 v., associated with the tab 22, to indicate to the user the contacts 28 with which the tabs 26 are in contact.

I claim:

1. An electrical outlet having a body with parallel cylindrical cavities spaced apart to receive a complemental plug, a bushing in each cavity rotatable within the cavity, stop means to prevent end-wise movement of each bushing, a pair of spring leaves within each bushing and fast with it and pressed towards one another to receive a fiat pin resiliently between them, a metal lug on each bushing in electrical contact with at least one spring of each pair, multiple stationary contacts for each bushing within the body and in the path of movement of the lug to make electrical contact with the lug each in turn as the lug is rotated; and means to connect the contacts with a source of electrical current.

2. An electrical outlet as claimed in claim 1 in which the bushings project beyond the body to permit them to be gripped for rotation.

3. An electrical outlet as claimed in claim 1 including a tab on each bushing accessible from outside the body to permit the bushings to be rotated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET HAVING A BODY WITH PARALLEL CYLINDRICAL CAVITIES SPACED APART TO RECEIVE A COMPLEMENTAL PLUG, A BUSHING IN EACH CAVITY ROTATABLE WITHIN THE CAVITY, STOP MEANS TO PREVENT ENDWISE MOVEMENT OF EACH BUSHING, A PAIR OF SPRING LEAVES WITHIN EACH BUSHING AND FAST WITH IT AND PRESSED TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER TO RECEIVE A FLAT PIN RESILIENTLY BETWEEN THEM, A METAL LUG ON EACH BUSHING IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH AT LEAST ONE SPRING OF EACH PAIR, MULTIPLE STATIONARY CONTACTS FOR EACH BUSHING WITHIN THE BODY AND IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE LUG TO MAKE ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THE LUG EACH IN TURN AS THE LUG IS ROTATED; AND MEANS TO CONNECT THE CONTACTS WITH A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL CURRENT. 